


Hold Me

by AnneCumberbatch



Series: Sometimes in the Evening [6]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Caring, Caring Sherlock Holmes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic John Watson, Domestic Life at 221B Baker Street, Established Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Forehead Kisses, Gen, Kisses, Long Days, M/M, Ordinary lives, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy John, Sleepy John Watson, Sometime in the Evenings, Tired John, domestic life, snapshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 09:15:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17701583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnneCumberbatch/pseuds/AnneCumberbatch
Summary: Sherlock knows how to take care of John when he's too tired to take care of himself.





	Hold Me

John laboured up the stairs of Baker Street, his feet moving from habit and without any focused thought on his movements. He adjusted the shoulder-bag he was carrying further up on his shoulder, stepped into the doorway to the kitchen, and that was as far as his body seemed to be able to take him.

Sherlock glanced up from the kitchen table after a few moments of not hearing any sound come from John. His eyebrows raised slightly. “You look spent.”

John nodded, his eyelids heavy. He leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen. “M’a little tired. Long day. Busy day.” He slid bag slid off his shoulder and onto the floor and he tried to slip his shoes off. Encountering more struggle than anticipated, he slumped into one of the kitchen chairs, his fingers plucking at the laces imprisoning his feet. After a moment, long fingers gently pushed his hands away and pulled John’s shoes off. The hands then rolled off his socks and drew John’s feet into a trousered lap, fingers pressing gently against the arch of one of his feet. John’s eyes slid shut as Sherlock rubbed the tension from his sore feet, and he relaxed back into the chair. John lost count of the minutes that passed as Sherlock worked on his feet, then transitioned to his ankles and calves, loosening and soothing the muscles there. Gradually, John’s head fell forward towards his chest, with a slight jerk once he reached that position, attempting to stay awake. Once Sherlock was pleased with his work on John, he gently pulled the man up and wrapped his arms around his chest, supporting him as he walked to the bedroom. John nodded and walked, half asleep, into the room and fell onto the bed as soon as he was close enough.

Sherlock huffed slightly. “Really, John.” He ran a hand through John’s hair before stripping John’s clothing off with a practiced ease and digging through the wardrobe for his pyjamas. After he carefully dressed his partner with the occasional assistance from John, which only proved to complicate rather than improve the situation, he pushed John further into the bed. He pulled the covers up around him and pressed a tender kiss to his forehead. He turned the light, but as he moved to return to the kitchen, John’s hand weakly grabbed a hold of his wrist.

“Stay, Sher.”

Sherlock turned back to look down at him, “John…”

“I know you’re busy. Just for a little bit, please.” John murmured, looking up at Sherlock through mostly closed eyes. “Hold me. You’ve been so good to me, I shouldn’t ask for more, but I just want you here.”

Sherlock’s face softened. “Of course, I’ll hold you, John. Don’t ever feel as if you can’t ask me to do that. If I can, I will always try to meet your needs.” He crawled over John and lay down beside him, wrapping his arms around his partner and nuzzling the spot behind John’s ear. “You deserve only the best. I’m sorry today was such a long day for you. I hate seeing you so tired.”

John snuggled against him and patted his hand, his body relaxing in Sherlock’s hold. “Thanks. S’okay. Don’t mind. Makes me feel useful.”

Sherlock’s brow furrowed and his arm tightened around John, one of the moving to run gentle fingers through his short hair. “We’ll talk about that later, my love. Go to sleep now.”

John leaned into Sherlock’s touch. “Mhm...” Within moments, he was asleep.

Sherlock smiled as he felt John’s body go limp. He continued to hold him tightly, pressing absent kisses to the back of John’s head. He was not yet at the point where John’s presence was not a miracle, where his love and desire for Sherlock’s affections were not a mercy. Sherlock wondered if the day would ever come when those things would become ordinary enough that he didn’t ponder over the extraordinariness of their existence. He hoped not. He never wanted to take what he held in his arms for granted.

**Author's Note:**

> Questions, comments, critiques are always welcome! Thank you for reading!   
> Any prompts/requests are also welcome!


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